High Country Baking: Pear-cranberry crisp

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Cool weather, shorter days and snow on high peaks ... time for dinners in front of the fire and desserts that leave us feeling snug and satisfied. This pear-cranberry crisp fits that description to a tee. Sweetened pears and dried cranberries are baked under a walnut streusel, and served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream - simple, wholesome and delicious.

There are lots of recipes for pear crisps, so why do I like this particular one? First, it provides a solution to the under-ripe (a euphemism for rock-hard) pears we often encounter in our grocery stores. By cutting them into small cubes and bathing them in a simmering mixture of sugar and butter before they're baked, their chances of softening to the texture we want is greatly increased.

Second, the bath ingredients do more than help to tenderize the fruit; they also enhance its taste. Pears have a flavor that can get lost when baked; the rum, vanilla and orange peel that are included in the sugar-butter mixture do a lot to enhance it. Yes, it remains subtle, but, thanks to these additions, it's very pleasing.

Third, the streusel is a perfect complement to the baked fruit. The topping makes a crunchy contrast to the filling and the nutmeg provides another element of flavor that works well with the pears and cranberries.

Lastly, preparing this dessert is easy and straightforward, requiring little kitchen equipment or special culinary techniques.

Vera Dawson, chef instructor with CMC's Culinary Institute, lives in Summit County, where she bakes almost every day. Her recipes have been tested in her home kitchen and, whenever necessary, altered until they work at our altitude. Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com

Adjusted for altitude

Make in 4-inch diameter ramekins with two-inch sides

Or an eight-by-eight-inch glass baking pan

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Ingredients

Streusel

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts

Filling

1/4 cup of sugar, preferably Baker's superfine

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

3 tablespoons of dark rum, brandy, or orange juice

1 teaspoon of grated orange peel

3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of dried cranberries

3 1/2 cups of Bosc pears, cut into three-fourth-of-an-inch cubes

Vanilla ice cream

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01 Up to a day ahead, prepare the streusel: Place the flour, sugar, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until well-combined. Cut the room-temperature butter into at least 12 pieces, add them to the bowl, and rub/toss with your fingertips until moist clumps are formed. Stir/toss in the chopped walnuts until they are evenly distributed. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate.

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02 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, with a rack in the center position. Generously butter the ramekins or baking dish. Make the filling: In a large skillet or saucepan, place the sugar, butter, dark rum (or brandy or orange juice), orange peel, vanilla extract and salt. Heat at a medium setting, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves (the mixture should feel smooth when rubbed between your fingers...no grains of sugar evident) and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the dried cranberries and cubed pears, toss gently until all are thoroughly coated with the sugar mixture, and simmer, while continuing to stir, until the pears begin to soften slightly and the cranberries absorb some of the liquid. If your pears are soft to start with, add only the cranberries to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and, if you didn't include them earlier, add the cubes of pear to the mixture and stir/toss to coat them with it. Let the mixture cool slightly.

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03 Divide the pear-cranberry mixture evenly between the ramekins or spoon it into the baking pan and spread and level it. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. If using ramekins, place them on a rimmed baking sheet for ease in handling. Bake until the streusel is golden and the pears are soft. (Test by inserting a small knife through the streusel, stabbing a pear cube, and gently pulling it out. Take a bite and see if it's done to your liking). The amount of time this takes varies greatly, depending on the ripeness of your pears and the size of your pan. I've had ramekins take anywhere from 30-48 minutes and a large pan take over an hour to complete baking. If the streusel is nicely browned before the pears are done, tent a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan top(s).

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04 Remove the crisp(s) from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can make them several hours ahead, cool completely, and re-heat in a 325- degree oven until warm to the touch. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered.